Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Not So AAA!

U.S. and European attitude towards the Syrian Revolution leave much to be desired, so perhaps, it is about time Syrian activists and dissidents stopped desiring much from the U.S. and Europe.

Tuesday August 2, 2011

24 dead on Monday (including 3 in Albou Kamal, 5 in Hama, 2 in Lattakia, 1 in Sermeen in the Idlib province, 3 in Homs City, 1 in the Damascene suburb of Zabadani, and 6 in the Damascene suburb of Arbeen) ... On Tuesday, 12 people died in all, including 5 in Hama City, 1 in the Damascene suburb of Kisweh, 3 in Rastan and 3 in Deir Ezzor City … More reinforcements, including tanks, armored vehicles and troops were sent to Deir Ezzor Province, with units storming into the border town of Alkbou Kamal, and others shelling parts of Deir Ezzor City killing at least 3 people … Meanwhile, hundreds were arrested in a mass detention campaign throughout the country, with special focus on Damascene suburbs and neighborhoods …

(Reuters) - The Syrian army, a vital pillar of President Bashar al-Assad's power, is showing little sign of the serious splits and defections the opposition seeks in its ranks, despite strains caused by his military repression of unrest.

Violent fringe elements have appeared during the Syrian tumult. One study last month from the International Crisis Group said some anti-government elements have taken up arms. However, that report said, "the vast majority of casualties have been peaceful protesters, and the vast majority of the violence has been perpetrated by the security services."

“The important thing is to remain committed to the peaceful nature of the movement, despite ongoing provocation by the regime and the moral cowardice of the international leaders,” says Ammar Abdulhamid, a leading Syrian activist based in Washington. “Admittedly, this will get more difficult from now onward.”

Western leaders, including American officials, may claim that the reason they don’t get tough on the Assads is the lack of cohesion among Syrian opposition groups, but that is simply put hogwash meant to justify their inability and/or unwillingness to formulate a clear policy at this stage. Forming a dysfunctional behemoth made up of individual and groups that are ideologically and philosophically at odds is the not the right way to successfully manage the transitional process. What you need for that is the ability to attract pragmatic elements from all different political, social and religious backgrounds in order to support whatever makeshift council protest leaders on the ground will eventually field once they are given then opportunity to do so, that is, once the violence is brought to a halt.

The meeting that Secretary Clinton held with Syrian activists earlier on Tuesday was largely a symbolic affair, a mere pat on the collective back of a people who have expected and yearned for much, much more from the elected officials of a country that still boasts a AAA rating by Moody’s, albeit with a negative future outlook. I dread to think what rating will be assigned to America if Moody’s launched a new system based on a country’s foreign policy.

Be that as it may, the Revolution goes on, in the face of crackdown, lies, attempts at hijacking the cause by fringe elements, and the cowardice of world leaders. The Revolution is still AAA in my book, with a positive future outlook!

Old Mazzeh: small but vociferous crowd in an area on the edge of one of the plushest neighborhoods in Damascus http://youtu.be/EvY-9ojeNSk

Kisweh: pro-Assad militias attack and set the mourning tents on fire http://youtu.be/BojxYD_eHwA , earlier, protesters mocked the security by staging a quiet protest in which they chanted “the people want to topple the regime” very quietly and deliberately http://youtu.be/QMW2bfBjyaw

About the Author

Ammar Abdulhamid is a liberal Syrian pro-democracy activist whose anti-regime activities led to his exile in September of 2005. He currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife, Khawla Yusuf, and their children, Oula (b.1986) and Mouhanad (b. 1990). He is the founder of the Tharwa Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to democracy promotion. His personal website and entries from his older blogs can be accessed here.